Erin D. Knight
About Erin D. Knight
Erin D. Knight (age 48) is an independent director of Amerant Bancorp Inc., serving since 2022. She is President of Monument Capital Management, a real estate investment manager with over $1 billion acquired across 16 states, and brings banking, BSA/AML compliance, portfolio management, and investment evaluation expertise. She holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and business (Florida State University), NASD Series 7 license, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER designation, and NACD Directorship Certification (NACD.DC). She currently sits on Amerant’s Audit Committee and the Corporate Governance, Nominating & Sustainability Committee.
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monument Capital Management | President | Since end of 2019 | Led IR in 2019; firm has acquired over $1B in assets across 16 states |
| Alexis (women’s apparel) | Chief Operating Officer | 2018 | Operating leadership |
| Stonegate Bank (now Centennial Bank) | EVP, Market President Miami-Dade | 2010–2017 | Regional banking leadership |
| Regions Bank | SVP, Private Banking Miami | 2003–2010 | Private banking leadership |
| SouthTrust Bank (now Wells Fargo) | Vice President, Private Banking | 2001–2003 | Private banking |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Citizens Property Insurance Corporation of Florida | Board of Governors member | Since 2021 | Chair, Investment Committee (since 2022); Chair, Consumer Services Committee (since 2023); previously chaired Audit Committee (2021–2022) |
| Baptist Health South Florida Foundation | Board & Executive Committee member | Since 2017 | Board leadership |
| The Miami Foundation for a Greater Miami | Board & Executive Committee member | Since 2020 | Chair, Investment Committee (since 2022) |
Board Governance
- Independence: The Board determined Ms. Knight is independent under NYSE/SEC rules. She serves on fully independent Audit and Governance committees.
- Committee assignments (2024): Audit Committee member; Corporate Governance, Nominating & Sustainability Committee member.
- Board leadership: Lead Independent Director is Dr. Pamella J. Dana; independent directors held four executive sessions in 2024.
- Meetings/attendance: The Board met 18 times in 2024; Audit met 11 times; Governance met 9 times. All directors other than Mr. Quelch attended at least 75% of Board/committee meetings during their tenure in 2024.
- Shareholder oversight signal: 2024 Say‑on‑Pay received 79.3% support, prompting outreach and plan design changes (e.g., lower subjective weighting; PSU metric update for 2025).
- Related-party safeguards: Audit Committee reviews/approves related‑party transactions under a formal policy; Regulation O/W standards applied. No Knight‑specific related‑party transactions disclosed.
Fixed Compensation (Non‑Employee Director Pay)
| Component | 2024 Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cash fees (Erin D. Knight) | $68,000 | Sum of Board retainer and committee member retainers |
| Annual Board cash retainer | $46,000 | Paid in equal monthly installments |
| Audit Committee member retainer | $12,000 | Per membership |
| Governance Committee member retainer | $10,000 | Per membership |
| Chair/LID retainers (structure) | LID $35,000; Audit Chair $18,000; Other Committee Chairs $15,000 | Effective Jan 1, 2024 |
Performance Compensation (Equity for Directors)
| Component | 2024 Detail | Vesting |
|---|---|---|
| Annual equity grant (all non‑employee directors) | $65,000 grant value in stock‑settled RSUs | One‑year vest starting after the annual meeting |
| 2024 grant to Erin D. Knight | 2,854 RSUs granted May 8, 2024 (grant‑date FV $64,986) | Vests on first anniversary, subject to continued service |
No director options or performance share metrics are used for director compensation; equity is time‑based RSUs to align with shareholders.
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- Other U.S.-listed public company boards: None (current/former).
- Compensation Committee interlocks: None disclosed for the 2024 Compensation Committee (Knight is not a member).
Expertise & Qualifications
- Banking/financial services leadership across regional retail and commercial banks; real estate private equity leadership.
- Corporate governance, BSA/AML compliance, portfolio management, loan/investment evaluation.
- Credentials: NASD Series 7; CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER; NACD Directorship Certification (NACD.DC).
- Community/mission‑critical capital allocation oversight via investment committee chair roles at state insurer and major nonprofits.
Equity Ownership
| Metric | Amount |
|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership – Class A Voting Common Stock | 7,971 shares (<1%) |
| Class A Non‑Voting Common Stock | 0 shares |
| Unvested director RSUs outstanding (as of 12/31/2024) | 2,854 units from 5/8/2024 grant |
| Shares pledged as collateral | None disclosed for Ms. Knight |
| Director stock ownership guidelines | Non‑employee directors: 4x annual cash retainer; 5‑year compliance window; 50% net shares retention until met |
| Hedging/pledging policy | Hedging prohibited; policy updated May 2024 to expressly prohibit pledging of Amerant securities by directors/employees |
Governance Assessment
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Positives:
- Independent director with dual critical committees (Audit and Governance), enhancing financial reporting and governance oversight.
- Strong alignment via annual equity grant and ownership guidelines; explicit anti‑hedge/pledge policy reduces misalignment risk.
- Active external fiduciary roles (investment committee chair) strengthen capital allocation and risk governance skills.
- Board process rigor: annual evaluations, 2024 strategic special session, and 2024–2025 upgrades to CEO/board succession and compensation design following shareholder feedback.
-
Watch items:
- 2024 overall board/committee activity was high (18 Board meetings; 11 Audit; 9 Governance) amid strategic actions; while Knight met ≥75% attendance threshold, individual director attendance rates beyond the threshold were not disclosed.
- No Knight‑specific related‑party or pledging issues disclosed; continue monitoring Section 16 filings (company reported overall compliance in 2024, with late filings for two officers not including Knight).
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Red flags: None identified for Ms. Knight (no related‑party transactions, no hedging/pledging, no other public company interlocks).